A Quantum of Magick
by Dioxine
Summary: Lucky Star/Arcanum crossover. I've found no category for Arcanum, so it's here for now. The steampunk-ish tale of science, magic and adventure w/ due amount of fanservice. The familiarity with the game is by no means required.
1. Chapter 1: The Place of Smoke and Water

Author's notes:

This is a crossover between one of the finest CRPGs , Arcanum, and Lucky Star. I have put it here as there is sadly no category for Arcanum fics… So from the looks of it, this is the first one on fanfiction net _evah_. Have fun reading it, and with any good feedback, I'm going to continue this. I have already written three chapters and I'll made them available as soon as they're edited. Later… we'll see.

Big thanks are due to my beta, Shadowfox026. To her you owe that this piece is readable at all!

EDIT: People who rewieved the story pointed out that the world of the game Arcanum is little known to a normal human. I could write some kind of prologue to explain things, but I though it'll be more fun for to figure out everything by yourselves (since the game world gets a lot of description in the story). But if I get more reviews asking me for such an extra explanation, I'll rewrite the first chapter to accommodate it.

* * *

CHAPTER ONE: THE PLACE OF SMOKE AND WATER

_In which our main protagonists are introduced, as they are involved in a most delicate political matter in the world's capital._

_

* * *

_Konata entered her father's office, panting slightly. Sojiro was busy looking through a massive steel periscope, which was built into the floor next to his even larger, mahogany desk. She waited patiently until he was done peeping at… whoever was in the office below. The haze of the setting sun entered through high, curtained windows and bathed the room in orange light. Multiple surfaces and ornamentations of brass, crystal and polished wood reflected the light. The air smelled of cherry tobacco. Her father did not smoke, so it had to be one of his… colleagues.

When Sojiro finally noticed her presence, he put up an unconvincing expression of shock on his face.

"You're really testing your father's integrity wearing those… modern… clothes."

"You mean those?" she pointed at her black, sophistically treaded, short-sleeved leotard. "They're sports clothes. Scientifically designed and proven to be extremely effective."

"At provoking stroke in older men?"

"We can always design some medicine for that… Hmmm, and who is she?" asked Konata looking through the now vacated periscope.

"Oh, some envoy. From Tulla."

"Tulla? Hmmm, she's kinda cute. Do you intend to hear her out? "

"Nah. And she's a bit too old, isn't she?"

"Sometimes I find it difficult to believe that you're really my father."

"From where would you inherit your great scientific aptitude then?" he asked, straightening himself and smoothing off his expensive smoking shirt.

"Hmmm… I don't know. Maybe from a dwarf?"

"A dwarf? Bah! Dwarves are all perverts."

* * *

The girl in the room below was now in the phase of quickly growing irritation. She was about twenty years old, dressed in a white, hooded robe, yet the robe was made of thin fabric and had a quite low-cut neckline, which was a popular design with the women who had to underline their magical or priestly provenience yet didn't wan't too look too _anachronic_. Two long, lavender ponytails protruded from underneath the hood and framed a smooth and nice, yet a bit aggressively-looking face.

"Ahem. As I said, I have a very important case to discuss with the Industrial Council."

"Dear miss, but only the members of the Industrial Council or people specifically invited by the Industrial Council or its members are allowed to attend meetings of the Industrial Council."

The _secretary_, as she had described her position, had an extremely sweet and polite voice. She was a tall, gorgeous, bespectacled and… embarrassingly busty woman with striking pink hair, dressed in an elegant and obviously expensive yet at the same time very modest-looking long dress.

"So you're saying that representatives of foreign powers are uninvited?"

"The invitation is of course automatic for any such distinguished figures."

"Yet _I am_ a diplomat! I represent the City of Tulla, for Halcyon's love!"

"Oh. I'm terribly sorry. I am afraid that the Unified Kingdom does not recognize such a political entity."

"Does not… recognize? Honestly, this is unheard of!"

"My sincere apologies, madam, but it's beyond my power to change that. If that's satisfying for you, you can leave a memo here, stating your case. The Industrial Council tries to help all the citizens, but they're really, really busy. I'll contact you when your case has been reviewed, if you'll be so kind to leave your address."

The young sorceress started to turn red. Little sparks appeared on her fingertips. The temptation to lightning-blast this unexpected obstacle to smithereens was strong.

Though using magic here, in the heart of a high-tech building, would lead to disaster, probably including a large explosion and dismemberment of at least two people, herself included. She felt like exploding anyway. Her hard-won reputation, not to mention international peace, was hanging on a thread, all because of this self-righteous, oh-so-sorry, sickeningly cute, big-titted…

She slowly composed herself and spoke in an almost controlled voice. "You don't understand anything! Are you stupid? This is serious business! Your… _Kingdom's _ actions are reckless and dangerous. If you won't listen to reason, Tulla may be forced to act to end this heedless policy."

The secretary raised her hands defensively and cracked a nervous smile. Yet the mage wasn't sure if she was trying to calm down her or the pair of huge half-ogre guards who, just ten seconds ago, had been looking like slumbering, but they were now starting to gain interest in the conversation.

"Please calm down, madam," said the secretary pleadingly. "I am aware that what you perceive as a denial might have offended you, but being rude never gets you anywhere."

"I am not being _rude_!"

The pink haired woman smiled. "By no means I am suggesting that, madam. Is anything else I can help you with?"

"Obviously not, since you have no authority over the so-called Vendigrothian _Plant_. Please tell your superiors that…" She stopped to overcome the growing sore in her throat. What was meant to be a harsh and cold statement, was coming out in a somewhat lame voice. Yet she pushed on. "That I, Hiiragi Kagami, a diplomatic envoy of Tulla, the city of mages, cannot suffer this kind of humiliation any longer. Nobody can say we weren't trying to address this crisis by diplomatic means. I'm leaving."

The sorceress turned on her heel and rushed to the door, determined not to hear any more excuses. She had tears in her eyes. _How they can be so stupid? Whatever happens, this will be their fault…only theirs…_The thought, however, didn't make her feel much better.

* * *

"Tsukasa!" yelled Kagami again. Some of the people present in the plaza in front of the Council building turned their heads, but she didn't care anymore. Her twin sister, who was supposed to wait there, was nowhere to be seen. The sorceress spent the last five minutes franticly walking across the plaza and back, looking around, asking people and finally yelling, but to no avail. She finally stopped by the huge statue of the _most_ infamous Gilbert Bates, proudly standing in the center of the plaza.

The place was at least a hundred metres across, surrounded by canals and some of the most prominent buildings in Tarant. The entire northern side was occupied by the exquisite four-story palace of the Council, which scraped the overcast evening sky with poles and antennas that capped its three massive domes of greenish bronze. In the background rose multiple columns of black and white smoke, originating from the sprawling industrial district. The southern face consisted of modern buildings. The redaction of _the Tarantian_, the most influential newspaper on the continent, occupied the tallest of them all, a construction of concrete and steel thirty stories high at least, capped with huge metal mast which acted as an anchor for airships that visited Tarant. In the west, the plaza descended to a reinforced river shore. A plethora of yachts, boats and barges were anchored there. The water level was low, as the sea tide had withdrawn since Kagami last saw it. On the other side, the Kensington Park could be seen with trees, bushes and many statues of bronze and stone. That was the direction she came from. At least three bridges were thrown over the river, one of them housing a railway. Finally, to the east lay the Garillon District, the wealthiest part of Tarant, crowded with expensive residences, expensive shops and expensive-looking people.

_I'll never be able to find her here_, thought Kagami, feeling powerless.

"Yo!"

She turned around to see a small boy, dressed in a dark brown jacket and beige trousers. His head, and whole back for that matter, was covered with an incredible amount of blue hair. There was something very odd about him, but the sorceress couldn't put a finger on it.

"So, they ditched you, didn't they?"

"Excuse me?"

"The Council."

"Wha… What do you want?"

"I think you might be interested in what I have to show you."

Kagami didn't like this conversation one bit. The person was really weird-looking and didn't act like a child at all. "I don't have the time," she said. After a second, out of desperation she added, "I'm looking for my sister. She is my height, wearing a blue robe. Did you happen to see her?"

"Oh, she's really cute. Are you sure she's your sister?"

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing. I'm just saying that you could relax a bit, that's what."

"Wha…? Do you know where she is or not?"

"Well, not exactly, but…" The strange boy seemed to think something over.

"But what?"

"I saw where she went. Yet the question is, how well do you know the city? Are you here for the first time? If so, this may prove to be very…"

"Difficult, yes! I am aware of that! Just tell me where she is already!"

"It's the Commercial District, near the Park. I can lend you my assistance in finding her."

"Er…"

"You're unfamiliar with the city. Without a trustful guide, you're going to get lost for sure. This city is quite big, the biggest in the world to be exact, and it's also quite dangerous, especially for such young, pretty girls as yourself…"

"Fine, fine! Show me the way! Just stop blabbering already!"

* * *

The hood of the blue robe was thrown back, revealing short, lavender hair held in place by a yellow band. The young woman was looking at a large steel statue depicting a figure in an intricate, mechanical-looking suit of armour with a goggled helmet. The person held a shield in one hand, raised high, and a strange axe adorned with some gizmos, gears and pipes in the other, ready to strike after the blow from the unseen enemy was parried. The inscription below stated simply "The Living One".

"Tsukasa!"

As the young woman turned around, she noticed Kagami running towards her, her pale shins quickly flashing from under the robe. A smile appeared on short-haired girl's face.

"Sis! There you are! This city is so exciting!"

"Kai'ten be thanked I've found you! Where have you been? You have me worried sick!"

"Oh… I am sorry… I just thought, since you'll be attending this meeting, it won't hurt if I stroll around a little bit, and… I was already heading back, I swear…"

Kagami's face softened. "Please, don't cry! I forgive you". She hugged her sister.

"I was not crying, Sis. You just looked so worried…"

"It was nothing!" interrupted the blue-haired person. "With my help, we would have found you very quickly anyway."

Tsukasa broke away from Kagami's hug, startled at first, but after quickly assessing the diminutive person who appeared out of nowhere by her sister's side, she smiled shyly.

"Um, hello, miss. I am Hiiragi Tsukasa. Nice to meet you." She bowed, putting her hands together.

"Miss?" said Kagami, wide-eyed.

"Yes, I am not yet married," she smiled. "Name's Konata."

Kagami turned red "I thought…"

"Oh… what is it? I am sorry to disappoint you, or go against your customs, but if you're looking for a wife..."

"I am not…!"

Tsukasa giggled, covering her mouth with one hand.

Kagami turned to her, red faced, fists on her hips.

"So where have you been?"

"Eeek…! I was just… I bought a thing or two, you know, as souvenirs for mummy and daddy, for Inori and Matsuri, and friends… There are so many great things here I've never seen before!" She reached inside her bulky bag. "And for you, Sis!" She presented Kagami a book with a colourful drawing of some long-eared, scantily clad nymph with a harp. "There are so many wonderful pictures inside! I'm sure you'll like it!"

Kagami took the book embarrassingly and couldn't resist to flip a few pages. From what she figured out, it was a romance between said nymph (suspiciously busty for an elf) and some young knight (with a suspiciously shiny armour). The obstacle between them seemed to be a group of mean-looking elves.

"Well, thank you, it is… nicely drawn."

"Good choice," cut in Konata, trying too look above Kagami's shoulder, or rather elbow. "It's _Captive of T'sen Ang_, by Ernst Stone Crusher. The quality of the pictures owes a lot to the advanced printing methods he uses! Really, a dwarf of science and a great artist, too."

"T'sen Ang? The name seems familiar," said Kagami.

"Yes, it was the city of the so-called Dark Elves, until it was destroyed by the Living One and her companions, during the Dark Elf conspiracy." Konata pointed at the statue.

"Yes… the Living One. Do you remember, Tsukasa? Dad told us about her. It was she who figured out the Pelojian ghosts' riddle."

Tsukasa looked like she didn't understand anything of what they were talking about. Kagami sighed.

"But why isn't her name displayed here? Or her face?"

"You know, Kagami… she might have rescued the world, and been one of the best scientific minds of her times, and people were grateful and all that, but she was a half-orc. With the Troggist party on the rise…"

"You don't seem to be too prejudiced yourself, for a human."

"But she's a gnome, Sis."

"Oh…" Kagami turned red again.

"It's nothing." Konata waved her hand. "You have a very smart sister."

Tsukasa blushed.

"Oh, why, thank you…", casually said Kagami. "So…" she turned to Tsukasa. "I hope you didn't spend all the money, did you?" she joked.

"Well…" Tsukasa lowered her head.

"Oh no."

* * *

The Devonshire Way was bathed in electric light. Despite the late evening, shops were still open and people went about their business, the three girls among them. Tsukasa was walking in the vanguard of the group, eyes wide open.

"So bright and steady! Not like those flickering, floating lights of ours! It's almost daylight!"

"We have changed from gas to electric lights about ten years ago," explained Konata. "Now the electricity is part of almost everything. It heats, it illuminates, it makes machines move. Even our new subway is powered by it."

"Electricity! This is something like you use in your Force spells, sis, right?"

"Something like," said Kagami, sulking a bit. Good thing that any old mage didn't hear that; to them, claiming that technology has _anything_ to do with magic was a heresy.

"It must be an awful lot of work to enchant everything with that electricity!"

"Oh, no, not at all. You see, it is generated in one place, a power plant outside the city, then it's sent via copper cables everywhere. It's very easy."

"This is amazing… how all those things go without anyone watching, without noise or other side effects… It's really brilliant."

Konata's smile widened. "And that's not all. Through the studies on electricity, we devised a way to send voice through vast distances. It's quite a recent invention. The electricity is the way of the future. It has already replaced much of the steam engines. You see, we do not live solely on the legacy of Gilbert Bates, we are constantly improving on it! Just twenty years ago nobody would have dreamed of what we have already achieved."

"It's so very different than in Tulla… We do not _invent_ anything new, we're supposed to spend our lives on learning how to achieve things that the masters teach us from the beginning of time… Few are able to do it. I am sure I'll never rise above Level Two spells. You know, I am not a very bright mage…"

Kagami was half-listening. She felt worse by the minute as she started to perceive the true gravity of the situation. _Happy Tuskasa! Good for her she does not understand… _Kagami knew that now she had to contact her father. But how could she tell him that she had failed? Especially since he had trusted her with such an important mission, since he did not send any of the more worthy mages, like her older sisters. He had been so sure she was capable. Yet… she failed. Failed and didn't know what to do.

Her father. His position wasn't stable, either. Kagami was old enough to understand that. He needed a visible success, badly. Many powerful mages resented him, since he was the first ruler of Tulla who wasn't a Master of any school of magic. The fact that after the untimely death of the previous ruler there was nobody left able to cast Level Five spells, and therefore gain Master title, didn't matter. A ruler who wasn't a Master! Laughing stock, even if he was probably the most powerful of them all. Nobody dared to laugh yet, but now…

"And this is _King Fahrad_! A masterpiece from Caladonian shipyards, designed by our own engineers!"

Kagami noticed they were now walking along the pier, overlooking the vast southern sea. A huge metal ship was anchored there, rising above them like a mountain wall, illuminated by innumerable electric lights. It was painted strikingly white, save its three sloped black chimneys. Several stories above the pier, some elegant looking ladies and gentlemen were strolling across the deck. The ramp was lowered and guarded by two young, wide-chested sailors in snow-white uniforms and caps.

"That's… unbelievable. So beautiful," gasped Tsukasa.

"The ship is the current speed record holder in Tarant-Caladon voyage. With its top speed of fifteen knots, it is able to cover that distance in just over two days!"

Tsukasa pushed both hands to her chest. "If only I could sail on this ship… Just a little…"

"You said you're not a very good sorceress, so you probably could. It can manage that level of magical interference," said Konata and smiled.

They walked further across the pier, passing by more ships. None looked as imposing as the _King Fahrad_, but almost all of them were steam-powered. Not until the girls traveled another couple hundreds of yards, they saw sailed ships. Those didn't look inspiring at all, and all seemed very old, tired and disfigured. And very busy. Girls watched as the nearest ship was being loaded with heavy-looking packages, carried by ragged figures. They were supervised by some bearded, massive individual in a half-open white shirt.

Suddenly, one of the ragged figures tripped and fell. The package floated through the air and landed on the pavement with a really heavy "thud". It ripped, and immediately a cascade of grain of some sort spilled around.

The supervisor's face turned red. He walked toward the unfortunate carrier, yelling "what have you done, you idiot! We don't have time for this shit! Get the hell up!"

The figure stood up, but said defiantly "we've been working all day! We have right to be tired!" Kagami noticed with surprise that the voice was female. She was not nearly as bulky as the supervisor, but clearly as tall. And he wasn't short.

"Shut up, you orcish bitch! Don't you tell me about your rights! Start mopping up on the double!" he approached her. Other workers stopped and started to watch.

"No! We need a break!"

"Why, you…" he unbuckled his belt, took it in his hand and swung at her with surprising agility. The girl was hit across her chest. She didn't flinch, though; instead she exposed her teeth at the attacker and threw herself at him without any warning. Kagami did not see clearly what happened, but she heard a crack and the next second the supervisor laid on the ground.

"Guards, guards!" he started to yell.

_End of chapter one._


	2. Chapter 2: The Glowing Orb

To the kind anonymous person that reviewed me: thank you for your approval. It also really encourages me that you've decided to play the game after reading the first chapter. The story will slowly start to unfold from this point on...

* * *

CHAPTER 2. THE GLOWING ORB

_In which the two young mages get to know the unruly half-orc girl and later are given a most surprising proposition at Izumi's residence._

_

* * *

_

The yelling of the supervisor caused an immediate commotion up on the ship's deck. Two or three dangerous-looking sailors started to hastily make their way down the ramp. The half-orc girl saw that and was about to run in the other direction. Yet she was out of luck. A patrol of four Tarantian guards, clad in light blue uniforms, appeared from nowhere and cut off her other route of escape. They already held guns in their hands. The girl's head swiveled towards the water. She hurled herself towards the edge of the pier.

"Shoot that orcish bitch! She's a convict! She tried to kill me!" screamed the supervisor as soon as he saw the guards. One of them raised his revolver.

All of this was too much for Kagami. She jumped forward, caught the running girl in half and released magical energies, surrounding them both in a glimmering Force shield. The girl was too surprised to struggle.

"No! That's enough! Nobody shoots anybody!" Kagami yelled.

"What's happening here?" demanded one of the guards. They all had their guns pointed at Kagami now. All workers and sailors stood in place, glancing from one side to the other. They seemed ready to break into flight or fight at a slightest provocation.

"She's in league with the convict!" yelled the supervisor, bloodied but already back on his feet.

"What convict?"

"Look at the orc face!"

Whatever they saw, it had an immediate effect of them. They tensed and looked ready to fire. Kagami risked a quick glance to the side. The tall girl's dark face was pretty and young, if somewhat rough and strong-jawed, with dirty, short, dark-brown hair sticking to her sweat covered brow, eyes large and yellowish which had something animalistic in them… and a five-point star burned into her left cheek.

"What does it mean?"

"I am… a Throggist" replied the tall girl with a sigh. Her body went a little limp. "And I was caught. That's a mark of a convict."

"Whoever you are, madam…" the guard said menacingly. He was the one who had been talking before, probably their leader. "Please step aside or we will treat you like a criminal as well."

"What are you intending to do to her?" demanded Kagami.

"Convicts who attack their benefactors are unworthy of pity. She will be taken to the guard station and dealt with appropriately. Please step aside, this is the last warning."

"They're going to kill me," said the girl sadly. "I won't get away with usual punishment this time. You shouldn't have to…"

"But it wasn't she who started!" yelled Kagami.

The guards didn't listen. Kagami was sure they would shoot… And her Level One Force shield was not _that_ bulletproof. _Just great_.

Suddenly, a soft yet confident voice broke the silence. "Gentlemen, I am taking this over. This woman is a diplomat under my responsibility." Tsukasa, who stood beside the diminutive gnome, began to nod eagerly.

"Miss… Izumi?" The guard leader went pale. "What are you doing here?"

"Izumi? _That _Izumi?" asked Kagami with disbelief.

"Yes. My guest has shown an interest in this half-orc, and I am not willing to risk an international crisis over it. Do you understand me?"

"Of course, miss Izumi, but… she's dangerous…"

"Do you think I am stupid, sargeant? Gather your people. You're going to escort us to my residence."

"Right away, miss!"

* * *

"Yo, Sebastien. How's going?"

"Welcome back, Miss. Happy to see you. All good," answered the largest half-ogre Kagami ever saw, his hunched form squeezed into an oversized, red tuxedo. He bowed, retreated from the room and closed the double door from the other side.

Kagami was used to exquisite rooms, and that one could be easily described as such (like the rest of the house). True, instead of obsidian and self-forming wood, it was furnished with glass and metal. True, instead of candles, skulls and strange artifacts it was adorned with all kind of weird gizmos and cables. Yet all of it was strangely familiar of the baroque style her family's rooms stuck to. Maybe the opposite sides of the magic/technology spectrum had more in common than anyone thought… Or maybe they even merged again into one on the extreme point of the scale, to complete the circle. The elves taught that the circles are everywhere. Circles, and the number 4, whatever that was supposed to mean.

"First of all, take your time and use the bath there. You can use the gowns and everything you find inside. Nobody is going to interrupt, only Sebastien's here at this time and he won't be passing this door," she said pointing at the entrance to the room. "I am going to change into something more comfortable as well…"

They all had nodded eagerly. Maybe Kagami didn't need a bath as badly as that half-orc girl they hauled here, but after so many days of travel it was a godsend.

"Tsukasa, could you come with me for a moment? There is something I'd like to show you." added Konata mysteriously.

"Oh… Yes, of course, Kona-chan." Tsukasa smiled apologetically to her sister and left the room with the gnomish girl.

_Kona-chan? She's calling the __almighty Izumi Konata, daughter of the most powerful man in Tarant like that?_ Konata strangely acted like she didn't mind. _Oh, what the hell. This can wait. There is a bath to be had!_

Kagami smiled at the tall half-orc, who was silently and awkwardly standing in the middle of the room. "You're probably not used to bathing, are you ?" The girl didn't answer. She seemed completely overwhelmed. She obviously required to be taken care of.

"Come on, I'll help you with your clothing," ordered Kagami and reached for buttons of the ragged shirt.

Eyes of the half-orc girl went wide. "My… clothing…?"

"Did you want to bathe dressed?"

"Erm… no… but…"

Something was weird about that voice. Kagami stopped undoing the shirt and looked up to see that the tall girl was blushing. It was so cute, unexpected and plain _wrong_, that the sorceress froze. She felt that she was starting to blush as well. _Those eyes… so sad…_

Without any warning, the half-orc girl hastily took Kagami's face in her hands and closed her lips on those belonging to the young sorceress.

They stayed like this, oblivious to their surroundings for several seconds. Finally, Kagami broke off the kiss. She was at a complete loss.

This time, the half-orc spoke first. "I just wanted… To thank you… I mean… I didn't mean to…"

They both avoided eye contact.

"Oh… that's… okay… Nothing happened… I…" Kagami cleared her throat. "Maybe we should bathe in our underwear after all."

"But I don't have any."

"Oh," Kagami bitten her lip. "We're going to… get some, like, towels, then. It wasn't such a great idea to begin with, right? Right."

As they entered the bathroom, they noticed that it had no real bath, just lots of piping and a metal tub, barely large enough to accommodate two people.

"Now, then, how one does use something like this?" asked the sorceress.

"I think it has something to do with those… gears. It can't be too hard, can it?" The half-orc girl smiled for the first time and it was something worth waiting for, especially if you were willing to see past her dangerously-looking teeth. Kagami was.

After about five minutes of trial and error, they managed to fill the tub with hot water. Loses included only Kagami's burnt finger and thoroughly drenched clothing. The sorceress was a bit distressed about this, but the half-orc seemed to enjoy herself.

"Now… about the…" started Kagami and bitten her lip. "I guess it cannot be helped…"

"'Kay."

"Just please cover yourself with that towel. I'll help you with the clothing. I won't… look, I promise."

The half-orc nodded, blushing slightly again and pushed the towel to her chest, covering the front of her body. Kagami removed her dirty shirt and trousers, to reveal a sight that made her swallow hard. The back, buttocks, shoulders and thighs of the girl were criss-crossed with multiple long, white scars.

"So… what's your name?" asked the half-orc unexpectedly.

"It's Hiiragi Kagami… From Tulla. City of mages. I'm the daughter of it's ruler."

"So… it makes you a princess, of sorts?"

"Heh, yeah. You can say that, if you like.. But I'm not much of a princess, really. I'm just a young Force mage. I'll be changing into a towel now, so please don't turn around", said Kagami, feeling stupid. It was normal for women to bathe together, yet on the other hand, there wasn't anything normal about this situation. That girl was clearly… different from any woman she knew.

"'Kay. I like princesses. That's romantic, I think. You know, I'm a princess too."

"Really?"

"Yes. My father was a… a king of the tribe. He even had a clan name! But that name is all what's left, now, I guess."

"All that's left?"

"Yes. The army destroyed our tribe when I was twelve. I managed to escape."

"Did… did you know your mother?"

"Do you take me for a rape child? They loved each other very much."

"Uh… I am sorry," said Kagami, red-faced. She shed her thin red gown, wrapped herself in a towel an knelt down in the tub. "Ehm… Kneel inside. I'll wash your hair."

Kagami started to rub the other girl's back, shoulders and head with a sponge. There was not much room to maneuver, as her knees were already touching half-orcs' hips. The tall girl had a body to kill for, if it weren't for those scars. She was very thin, but incredibly wiry and well-muscled for a woman, and the thinness didn't hurt her breasts in the slightest, at least from what the sorceress could see. Her body was dark, smooth and hard like marble under the touch, only much warmer.

"So... may I ask you your name?"

"Kusakabe… Kusakabe Misao." The girl looked over her shoulder, locking her amber eyes with Kagami's. "Can I… travel with you? I'll be useful, I promise. I am used to hard work, and I can do all kinds of things!"

Kagami already knew that she wasn't able to say "no" to those eyes.

* * *

"So, do you like it in here, Tsukasa, hmmm?"

Konata stood in the door to her laboratory. She was now wearing an unbuttoned white lab coat with a pair of matching sneakers, navy blue gnomish short pants and a tough-looking, multi-pocketed black vest with a central zipper and a symbol of a cog on the left side of the chest. She was smiling.

Tsukasa turned around, startled and almost dropped a green, ball-shaped gizmo she was examining. Then she smiled as well.

"I don't understand much of what you have here, but all those metal things, cables, gauges… They look sooo cool!"

"Mmm, mmm!" Konata nodded. "There is something special I'd like to show you. This is the reason why I wanted you and your sister here… There is something puzzling, something that few people know and nobody truly understands and you're ideal candidates to help me with that."

"We? But, Kona-chan…"

"I am sure of it! Now, come here. This is a disturbance specktrometer," she said and took a large clock-like device with a handle and a set of bat-like ears made from silvery wire. She pointed it at Tsukasa, humming to herself. Tsukasa looked a little frightened.

"What are you doing, Kona-chan?"

"I am just checking how strong is your magic aura… Hmmm, barely twenty percent! Perfect, just perfect. Now look here," she said and pointed at a large, lead chest with a thick glass window in its side. A faint, blue glow was emanating from the window.

Tsukasa approached the container and curiously looked inside.

"An orb of glowing metal… what is it?"

"It's called uranium. It's the rarest and heaviest element in existence. And one of the strangest, too. The glow is visible only in an extremely strong tech field. Under normal circumstances this material has properties indiscernible from common lead."

"Oh, and I was wondering why it's placed in the nexus of the room!"

Konata whistled. "How did you know that?"

"Erm… all this cables and stuff… It looked so obvious…"

The gnome just smiled.

"Would you like to play around here for a bit? Don't worry, I'll show you the ropes."

"With this… stuff?" Tsukasa briefly glanced all the mysterious, exciting and slightly menacing machinery that filled the room. "Oh…" She blushed.

"I bet you love to play, don't you, Tsukasa?"

"Yes, I do…" she answered with a little voice.

"I knew it from the start! But that's for later. I still owe you a bath, then we'll have some diner and talk about stuff. We can help each other a great deal!"

* * *

As soon as Konata and Tsukasa reached the main room, they saw bathroom door opening. Kagami and her half-orc companion stood there, bare-footed and dressed in white bath robes.

"Uh, hello again," said Kagami.

"Oh, you're surely not losing any time, Miss Hiiragi," said the gnome, scratching her chin. "You've met her barely an hour before and you're already bathing together…"

"What….?" said Kagami, confused. Then the puzzles: the strange behaviour of Misao, the small tub, the words of Konata, all rapidly put themselves together in her mind.

"Eeek!" Kagami turned red and hid her face in her hands. She looked like she wanted to die. Suddenly, the other girl stepped in front of her, like she was protecting her from the gnome with her own body. She clenched her fists and said:

"It's not your business, Miss Izumi! Please leave her alone!"

"Oh, it's nothing, nothing. I'm leaving you alone then," she said and winked. "The diner will be ready within a hour so don't take too long, Tsukasa!"

Short-haired girl just smiled nervously at her sister and disappeared into the bathroom.

Kagami raised her head as she felt Misao patting her shoulder with a very serious expression on her face. They stood like this for a while longer when they heard Tsukasa's wailing:

"Aiii! It's hot! Somebody help me…!"

* * *

Kagami always thought that her family dined really well, as they had access to everything that there was in Tulla. Yet, she had to admit it was pale in comparison with what the mistress of the house prepared for them. Exotic seafood, fruits of strange shapes and tastes, fresh salads and what-not.

They were still wearing only their bath robes, except, of course, for Izumi Konata in her lab coat, who sat royally on a very high chair at the head of a table which could easily accommodate twenty people. The other girls bunched together near the other end.

Misao seemed to forget everything as soon as she dug into the meat, completely ignoring vegetables. She tore and chewed the food with such voracity it was like she hadn't eaten properly in years. _Honestly, that could be the case_, thought Kagami.

The twins ate with much more temperance than the carnivorous half-orc, yet they also didn't restrain themselves. Miss Izumi was watching all this with a mild curiosity.

"Did you really prepare it all yourself, Kona-chan?" asked Tsukasa as soon as her first hunger was satiated.

"Well, yes, with a little help of machines of my own design. It was nothing."

"It's really interesting! Could you please give me some pointers?"

"Mmm, gladly. I didn't know that cooking was one of your hobbies as well."

"Very much so, Kona-chan!"

"Ahem…" Konata seemed like trying to draw everyone's attention. "Before the ice cream…"

"Ice cream!" said Misao in disbelief.

"Before the ice cream, I think it would be prime time to discuss the business at last. I know you were desperate to gain an audience with the Industrial Council, weren't you?"

"Yes, we were," sighed Kagami.

"Well, as they say, if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. There is a most exciting adventure I need your help with!"

"An adventure? By Kai'ten! The Council must immediately hear me out! Tarant's operations on Vendigroth Plains cause severe disturbances to the local magical aura, city of Tulla included! You cannot ignore us like this, lest it ends in… in a bloodshed!"

The two other girls seemed taken aback by Kagami's outburst. Konata simply smiled.

"Oh, don't be so selfish, Kagamin."

"Wha…? Kag…? Excuse me?"

"Let's see… I have already saved your life, provided you with diplomatic credentials, five-star accommodation and nourishment, not to mention a city tour! And I didn't charge you a single coin for all that."

"Charge… me?"

"Mhm. And that would put you in a little difficult situation, since you don't seem to have any funds… Might cost you your nice enchanted clothing, at the very least!"

Kagami's face was already red like hot iron. Misao put a hand on her shoulder.

"Gnomes be gnomes…"

"At the very least, hear me out," continued the blue-haired girl. "I can help you with your cause, a lot, but nothing is for free in this life, is it? Besides, the tensions in Vendigroth are not the only important thing that's happening in the world."

Kagami's expression slowly changed from anger through powerlessness to a grim determination. "So what the hell do you want me to do?"

_End of chapter two_


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